Page 75 of Glass Hearts
Grayer
Arabella.
The memories of the cruel dinner assault me at every moment, with every breath. The vicious words we said, my lips on her stepsister’s cold skin, the sound of the leather hitting her already damaged back. Her desperate sobs as she looked at us with heartbreak.
The hurt in her eyes. Her pleas.
And I couldn’t do anything.
My brothers think I don’t hear them worrying about me.
I do not think they are upset enough.
I can’t lose her.
Fuck everything.
Like a candle flame without a wick, I am nothing without her.
Arabella
Quotina is everything I had imagined and more: a sprawling mosaic of life and chaos. It reminds me of Eldor in some ways. The towering structures, the twisting alleyways, but it’s different. The air feels… alive here. Full of possibilities.
I can’t tell who’s rich and who’s not. People walk side by side, flowing together, and you wouldn’t know if they lived in gilded mansions or crumbling hovels just by looking at them. No one seems to care. Everyone belongs here.
The rich folk of Eldor? They hide behind their high walls, tucked away near the castle. But here, in the heart of Quotina, the streets are full of faces that don’t quite fit anywhere else. The outcasts, the off-beat, the nulls… they all seem to call this place home.
Music spills from every corner, blending together like a living thing. Upbeat drums, soulful strings, and voices in a hundred different languages. It spills over the cobbled roads. Horse-drawn carriages jostle by, their wheels clicking and clattering on the stones, and yet the people keep moving, unfazed by the chaos. It’s dizzying, this constant rush of sound, sight, and movement. But somehow, it’s intoxicating, too. I feel my breath catch in my chest, caught between awe and a sense of overwhelming loss. The streets are alive in ways I’ve never known before.
This city is what Harsekeep could be if the rich folk would stop exploiting its less fortunate citizens.
As it turns out, Quotina is much more expensive than Harsekeep. My first stop is finding an inn so I can drop off my pack and take a moment for myself.The Rest Yer’ Head Innis the first dose of reality for being on my own in a new city. The price for a night at their inn is triple than what I expected. I was able to steal a few gold coins from Randal, but it seems that he had spent most of his money on me.
Such a shame I was a poor investment, an investment with teeth.
Judging by what I have left, I will only be able to afford one night and perhaps some food. Though I could really go for a wine.
I’m used to doing my research with Lo and Valak before I make a move. Gathering intel, making sure my targets are the kind of monsters I can live with stealing from. But in Quotina, it’s different. I don’t have the same connections or street knowledge I had back in Harsekeep. Here, I’m flying blind.
The families, the women, the kids—they’re not the ones I’m after. I’m looking for something else. Someone else.
That’s when I spot them.
Three tall, very attractive and muscular men sit around an outdoor bar patio. Their table is littered with empty pint glasses. There are still a few full ones waiting. It’s like they’re staking their claim on the space, daring anyone to approach. Black tactical leather gear and cargo covers them from head to toe. Weapon belts, thankfully, are currently empty. If I were to wager, they just came from some kind of mission or project. Mercenaries, perhaps? They’ve got that sharp, dangerous edge to them. The kind that can turn deadly with the flick of a wrist.
I continue to size them up, my eyes narrowing as I watch their movements. They’re relaxed for now, but I can feel the threat rolling off them in waves. This is the danger that smells like big money. And it’s the kind of money I’ll be taking.
“Any mice around here looking for a bit of cheese in exchange for some help?”
Instantly, three mice, two rats, and, surprisingly, a really gangly looking cat arrive.
“What’s it to ya?” the cat asks.
“Cheese up front, toots,” a mouse says. Definitely an interesting lot in Quotina.
“See those three men over there? I need you tosneakilysteal their coins. Maybe anything valuable they have. Can you do that?”
“Piece of cake. Actually, I want one of those too.”
